5 Ways to Take Care of Your Mental Health During the School Year
From school, work, friends, and family, you have a lot on your plate. Perhaps you're juggling college applications too. High school is challenging and managing everything can be hard. With everything that's going on, it's important to check in on your mental health. Here are a few simple ways to do so:
Start a gratitude journal
A gratitude journal can help you pay attention to the little details in your life. Through journaling, you can learn more about yourself and gain a fresh perspective on the world. Studies shows that by expressing gratitude and acknowledging the ups (no matter how small) can help with sleep, minimize stress, and improve your intrapersonal skills. Not only can this form of journaling improve your mental health but your physical well-being too.
Start a gratitude journal today and answer these questions:
What made you smile?
Who made you laugh?
Did something make your day?
What are you truly grateful for?
Recording these small moments of joy can help you realize all the good you are surrounded by that you may not have noticed before.
2. Exercise!
Have you ever felt happier after finishing a workout? Exercise is proven to improve your mood. While exercising, your body releases dopamine and serotonin stored in your brain-- neurotransmitters that help regulate your mood. Exercise can do more than just improve your mood, by exercising you can also relieve stress and tension, and better your sleep.
Exercise can have a number of positive impacts on your mental health, from improving your overall self-confidence to helping reduce the symptoms of depression and anxiety. Research shows that if you replace 15 minutes of sitting with 15 minutes of running, the chance of being diagnosed with depression will decrease by 26%.
Don’t know where to start? Consider playing basketball with your friends, doing some jumping jacks, or walking your dog for an hour!
3. Let Nature Heal You
Let’s try this experiment. For a moment, imagine you’re lying on the beach. Feel the sea breeze brushing over your hair, feel the sun’s warmth on your skin. Wasn’t that relaxing?
Immersing ourselves in nature can have a positive impact on our brain and body. The benefits of being in nature include stimulation of the brain, stress relief and decreased fatigue.
Scientific research shows that exposure to nature can increase happiness levels, provide a sense of meaning and purpose in life, and decrease mental distress.
Why wait? Go outside, plan for a hike, or explore your nearest state park.
4. Practice Kindness
Practicing kindness is good for your mental health, and can help cultivate a sense of trust and improve your interpersonal relationships. Evidence suggests that kindness increases individuals’ self-esteem, empathy, compassion and can improve one’s mood. Similar to working out, practicing kindness can also boost dopamine and serotonin levels.
Lend a hand, compliment a stranger, or hold the door open for someone behind you. These small acts of kindness not only benefit your mental health and physical well-being, but also help you gain trust and connection from others.
5. Ask for help
You can’t do it all and it’s okay to ask for help, whether that means getting help figuring out a homework problem or finding someone you can trust to talk to about stress in your life. As human beings, we sometimes feel as though everything needs to be done independently, but that's definitely not always the case.
Never hesitate to seek help and remember that you’re not alone. Your mental health matters and you matter.
Final Thoughts on Ways to Take Care of Your Mental Health
If school is stressing you out, remember that you can reach out for free help with homework through UPchieve! Our online tutors are available 24/7 to help you with homework, or even applying to college. Learn more about how you can get free tutoring by heading to our student page.